Aging Influences the Efficiency of Attentional Maintenance in Verbal Working Memory. (6th June 2018)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Aging Influences the Efficiency of Attentional Maintenance in Verbal Working Memory. (6th June 2018)
- Main Title:
- Aging Influences the Efficiency of Attentional Maintenance in Verbal Working Memory
- Authors:
- Jarjat, Gabriel
Portrat, Sophie
Hot, Pascal - Abstract:
- Abstract: Objectives: Numerous studies reported an age-related deficit in verbal working memory (WM). Beyond the well-established general factors of cognitive aging, the alteration of the specific WM maintenance mechanisms may account for this deficit. This paper aims to investigate the hypothesis that WM attentional maintenance is impaired with age. Method: In a WM task adapted to individual short-term memory and processing speed, younger and older participants maintained letters while verbally responding to a concurrent processing task, in order to constrain the use of rehearsal. Critically, the opportunity to use attentional maintenance was manipulated by varying the cognitive load (CL) of the concurrent processing via its nature and pace. Results: Younger participants outperformed older participants and, in both groups, recall performance decreased as the CL increased. Importantly, in line with our predictions, the CL effect was modulated by age. Older adults benefited less from free pauses that allowed participants to engage in attentional maintenance of WM traces. Discussion: Although still effective in normal aging, WM attentional maintenance seems to be altered. It could therefore be a good candidate to account for WM age-related deficits.
- Is Part Of:
- Journals of gerontology. Volume 74:Number 4(2019)
- Journal:
- Journals of gerontology
- Issue:
- Volume 74:Number 4(2019)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 74, Issue 4 (2019)
- Year:
- 2019
- Volume:
- 74
- Issue:
- 4
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2019-0074-0004-0000
- Page Start:
- 600
- Page End:
- 608
- Publication Date:
- 2018-06-06
- Subjects:
- Cognitive aging -- Complex span task -- Maintenance mechanisms -- Working memory
Geriatrics -- Periodicals
Gerontology -- Periodicals
Aged -- Periodicals
Aging -- Periodicals
Psychology, Social -- Periodicals
305.26 - Journal URLs:
- https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology ↗
http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/ ↗
http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/ ↗
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1093/geronb/gby067 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1079-5014
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4995.099100
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 11988.xml